Awards
A selection of book awards in Aotearoa
NZ Booklovers is an online home for books, and for those who enjoy reading them. The site was created by book lovers for book lovers. It is a bookworms' hub, dedicated to bringing New Zealanders everything they need to know about reading and the world of literature, and to making this information accessible to everyone. Working alongside publishers and book publicists, NZ Booklovers showcases both New Zealand and international titles. It provides a platform for sharing articles, author interviews, reviews, and book-related stories, as well as book news, competitions, and reading and writing advice.
Includes NZ Booklovers Awards for:
Best Adult Fiction
Best Lifestyle Book
Best Children’s Book
Established in 2012 and held on the shortest day of the year (22 June 2020), a national competition - which includes a youth competition- for flash fiction (short fiction).
Awards established in 2010 by Craig Sisterson, presented annually to recognise excellence in crime fiction, mystery and thriller and true crime writing in New Zealand. The Awards ceremony takes place at the WORD Christchurch Festival in Dame Ngaio Marsh’s home town. The winners will be announced at WORD Christchurch.
Includes Ngaio Marsh Awards for:
Best Novel
Best First Novel
New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults
A unique celebration of the contribution New Zealand’s children’s authors and illustrators make to building national identity and cultural heritage. The Esther Glen Award was established in 1945 by LIANZA. The Aim Children’s Book Awards ran from 1990-1996. In 1997, New Zealand Post became the principal sponsor of the awards until 2014. In 2016, the New Zealand Book Awards Trust was formed to manage awards the NZ Book Awards for Children & Young Adults.
Includes NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults for:
Margaret Mahy Book of the Year
Picture Book Award
Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction
Young Adult Fiction Award
Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction
Russell Clark Award for Illustration
Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for Te Reo Māori
Best First Book Award
NZSA New Zealand Heritage Literary Awards
Established in 2013, awards are given for books linked to New Zealand’s heritage.
Ockham New Zealand Book Awards
Established in 1968, the annual Ockham New Zealand Book Awards longlist of up to 40 titles is announced in late January, and a shortlist released in early March. The awards ceremony is held as part of the Auckland Writers Festival in May each year.
Includes five principal prizes:
The Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction
The Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry
The Illustrated Non-Fiction Award
The General Non-Fiction Award
And four Best First Book Awards, supported by MitoQ
Hubert Church Prize for Fiction
Jessie Mackay Prize for Poetry
Judith Binney Prize for Illustrated Non-Fiction
E. H. McCormick Prize for General Non-Fiction
The Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) established the PANZ Book Design Awards to promote excellence in, and provide recognition for, the best book design in New Zealand.
Formerly the Huia Short Story Awards, a biennial short fiction competition established in 1995 to discover and recognise Māori writers. The awards encourage diverse Māori viewpoints and writing in both te reo Māori and te reo Pākehā. Selected winners and finalists are published in the annual Huia Short Stories collection.
Prime Minister’s Awards for Literary Achievement
Established in 2003, these are annual awards which recognise notable literary achievement and significant contribution to New Zealand literature in three categories - fiction, non-fiction and poetry - as nominated by New Zealanders.
Romance Writers of New Zealand Koru Published Book Award
Established in 2014, the NZ Romance Book of the Year is a contest for New Zealand or Australian authors, judged by the romance novel readers of New Zealand.
Designed to foster and support poets, actively promote poetry and provide an important resource and archive of modern New Zealand poetry – established in honour of New Zealand poet Sarah Broom (1972-2013) in 2013.
Sir Julius Vogel Awards for New Zealand Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror
Fan voted awards for various endeavours in the science fiction, fantasy or horror fields. Professional nominations can be for novels, short stories, art and others. Fan nominations can be for fanzine, writing, art, Services to Fandom, Services to Science Fiction and more.
Storylines Children’s Literature Charitable Trust Awards
In line with its general advocacy for the development of New Zealand children’s literature, the Trust offers 11 awards to writers, illustrators, publishers and those working in the field of children’s literature and literacy.
Storylines Notable Books Awards
An annual list of outstanding books for children and young adults published by New Zealand authors/illustrators in the previous calendar year.